Best Roger Michell Podcasts (2024)

1
The Client Side of Major Projects, with Amy Weisser 1:06:21

1h ago1:06:21

1:06:21

“The client’s role is not to solve the problem — it’s to state the problem.” What’s the client’s perspective in major cultural projects? What are “client user groups?” What’s the difference between advocating for the client, and advocating for the project? How do you “inhabit your project?” How might a single gender-inclusive restroom project chang…

1
Best of PID—Hans Teensma (Designer: Outside, New England Monthly, Disney, more) 36:05

1h ago36:05

36:05

DUTCH MASTER — Dutch-born, California-raised designer Hans Teensma began his magazine career working alongside editor Terry McDonell at Outside magazine, which Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner launched in San Francisco in 1977. When Wenner sold Outside two years later, Teensma and McDonell headed to Denver to launch a new regional, Rocky Mountain …

1
Best of PID—Janet Froelich (Designer: The New York Times Magazine, T, Real Simple) 56:46

8d ago56:46

56:46

THE ART DIRECTOR’S ART DIRECTOR — Janet Froelich is one of the most influential and groundbreaking creative directors of all time. For over two decades, she lead the creative teams at The New York Times Magazine and its sister publication, T: The New York Times Style Magazine. In this episode, Froelich recalls her own personal 9/11 story, and what …

1
Best of PID—Dan Winters (Photographer: The New York Times, Texas Monthly, Wired, more) 1:30:00

6d ago1:30:00

1:30:00

A HANDY MAN — Photographers are gearheads. They’re always throwing around brand names, model numbers, product specs. So when legendary photographer Eddie Adams asked today’s guest, Dan Winters, if he knew how to handle a JD-450, it was a no-brainer. He had grown up with a JD-350. So yeah, the 450 would be no problem. But here’s the funny thing: the…

1
Scrappy PR for Museums, with Sarah Maiellano 1:04:59

7d ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Can you get big press with a small budget? (Hint: Yes.) For museums, small firms, and independent consultants, this episode is packed with literally dozens of ideas from a master of scrappy PR. What is the #1 tip about PR, if you forgot all the others? How do you get a journalist’s attention? How do you get in the news without something new? Who sh…

1
Best of PID—George Gendron (Editor: Inc., New York, Boston Magazine, more) 54:53

19d ago54:53

54:53

THE JAZZ OF THE NEWSROOM — In this episode, we talk to George Gendron, the long-time editor [Inc. Magazine] and educator who created one of the first liberal arts-based entrepreneurship programs in America. We talk about his first job working under legendary editor Clay Felker in the early days of New York magazine, how a third-grade book report se…

1
Best of PID—Michele Outland (Designer: Bon Appétit, Gather Journal, Nylon, more) 49:45

18d ago49:45

49:45

THE ARTIST AS ENTREPRENEUR — Michele Outland has spent her career at some really beautiful magazines. Beautiful ... because she made them that way. Her resume includes stops at Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, Domino, Nylon, and Bon Appétit, as well as the magazine she created and launched with her good friend, Fiorella Valdesolo: Gather Journal. Ga…

1
Six Keys for Unlocking Your Most Playful, Creative Work, with Jonathan Goldstein and Kyle Talbott 49:59

21d ago49:59

49:59

Have we lost a sense of playfulness in our work … and could we get it back? In museums for children, why does “analog usually beat digital?” What’s a “climbing structure”? What are design metaphors, and why should planners beware of them? How can exhibition teams better empathize with one another’s fears and concerns? Why should a museum profession…

1
Best of PID—Kurt Andersen (Author & Editor: Spy Magazine, New York, Studio360, more) 1:00:07

1M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

THE GREATEST STARTUP IN THE HISTORY OF MAGAZINE STARTUPS — We’ve always had a thing for magazine launches. They’re filled with drama and melodrama, people behaving with passion and conviction, and people ... misbehaving. Anything to get that first issue onto the stands and into the hands of readers. Some new ventures seem to sneak in the back door.…

1
Ana Morales, Artist 33:09

1M ago33:09

33:09

Ana Morales is based in Roanoke, Virginia, and works primarily with mixed media. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from James Madison University, where she studied studio art and art education. She works at LeisureMedia360 in Roanoke as the art director for publications, including the Roanoker Magazine and t…

1
Best of PID—Roger Black (Designer: Rolling Stone, Esquire, Newsweek, New York, Smart, more) 1:02:17

1M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

WHAT’S BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER? — Roger Black is a pioneer. His art direction of iconic print brands and high-profile redesigns, his early embrace of digital publishing technology, and his typographic innovations are hallmarks of a 50-year, trailblazing career. He’s refined his design mastery at publications ranging from Rolling Stone to E…

1
Rob Orchard (Cofounder/Editor: Delayed Gratification, Time Out, more) 37:30

1M ago37:30

37:30

THE SLOWER THE BETTER — Given that this is the final show of the season, it is perhaps a bit poetic that our guest today is Rob Orchard from Delayed Gratification. Not that we would plan an episode around a bad pun. Not us. Delayed Gratification is media created to comment on, and offer a counterpoint to, the media. Rob Orchard and his team met eac…

1
Richard Turley (Designer: Interview, Bloomberg Businessweek, Civilization, more) 42:44

2M ago42:44

42:44

RICHARD TURLEY CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP — Richard Turley is changing the idea of the magazine. Richard Turley has no idea what a magazine is in the year 2024. And in this sense, he is not so different from you or I. Richard Turley’s magazines—and there are many—are confrontations, loaded with text, or not, sometimes, but if you ask him, he’s not sure…

1
The Money Pie Chart, with Amy Kaufman 51:52

2M ago51:52

51:52

How do new museums make money — really? In this episode, we lift the veil on new museum projects and money. What is “the peril of the bicycle wheel”? Is it bad to rely on “anchor funding”? How many kinds of revenue should a new museum project have? What happens if you have the wrong number? (Hint: eh, not so good.) How much money do endowments make…

1
Versha Sharma (Editor: Teen Vogue) 31:58

2M ago31:58

31:58

IT’S COMPLICATED — If Teen Vogue’s editorial still surprises you, it might be time to admit that this says more about you than it does about Teen Vogue. And also, perhaps, that you haven’t been paying attention. Teen Vogue is not the first magazine aimed at “the young” of course, and it’s not the first one to address multiple issues. But…Teen Vogue…

1
Circus Lessons for Museum Professionals, with Jennifer Lemmer Posey 50:12

2M ago50:12

50:12

What’s the role of wonder in experience design? What can the circus teach us to make our exhibitions better? (Spoiler alert: a lot.) Could being “with it and for it” be the secret to success for museum projects? How much technology is too much? Can we really design for all five senses? Can an exhibition be a high-wire act — literally? Jennifer Lemm…

1
David Remnick (Editor: The New Yorker) 48:43

3M ago48:43

48:43

THE FIFTH — I want you to stop what you’re doing for just a moment and imagine we’re back in 1998. (Those of you born since then will have to use your imagination). We’re on an ASME panel exploring the future of magazines in the digital age. The moderator, eager to get the discussion off to a lively start, turns to you and asks, “What magazine that…

1
Beyond “Exit Through the Gift Shop”, with David Franke 57:18

2M ago57:18

57:18

Do museum stores actually make any money? What are they really for? Can a store act like an exhibition? What does “cap rate” mean? How big should a museum store be? What percentage of visitors go into one, and how many of them buy something? Why should you get an expert to design your store, and what happens when you don’t? David Franke (museum sto…

1
Gail Bichler (Designer: The New York Times Magazine) 59:27

2M ago59:27

59:27

THE FINE ART OF MAGAZINE MAKING — Imagine this: You’re a 42-year-old designer who’s only worked at one magazine. Ever. Then one day, unexpectedly, you’re tasked to lead the design of that magazine. Now imagine that the magazine is universally lauded as a design masterpiece. Add to that, your immediate predecessors have both been enshrined into ever…

1
Kerry Diamond (Founder & Editor: Cherry Bombe) 41:09

3M ago41:09

41:09

THE CHERRY ON TOP — Cherry Bombe is a full-course meal. Its founder, Kerry Diamond, created the magazine after working in titles like Women’s Wear Daily and Harper’s Bazaar, and after working for brands like Lancôme. And in the restaurant industry. She worked in restaurants at a time when everything culinary was in the ascendance in the zeitgeist. …

1
Willa Bennett (Editor: Highsnobiety, GQ, Seventeen, more) 46:27

3M ago46:27

46:27

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER — In early April, what’s left of the magazine industry gathered at Terminal 5 to see who would win this year’s National Magazine Awards—the ASMEs. Throughout the evening, the usual suspects stepped up to accept their Alexander Calder brass elephants—the ‘Ellies’—on behalf of their teams at The Atlantic, New York, and The New …

1
Mike Rogge (Editor & Owner: Mountain Gazette) 36:58

3M ago36:58

36:58

WELCOME TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS — Mountain Gazette is one of those media … things … that only long-time fans really know about, with a long and colorful history. A kind of Village Voice of the outdoors, the first incarnation (1966) of the magazine was about mountains and for “mountain people”—a lifestyle magazine for those who weren’t interested in e…

1
Janice Min (Editor: The Hollywood Reporter, Us Weekly, Ankler Media, more)) 56:28

3M ago56:28

56:28

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER — A good editor can, theoretically, edit any magazine, regardless of genre. But in some cases, you need an outsider to make things right. To see the forest for the trees. To that end, Janice Min has planted acres of forests—one tree at a time—on both coasts, where the Colorado-born editor considers herself an outsider. “I car…

1
Dorothy Gillespie: Groundbreaking Documentary - COURAGE, INDEPENDENCE AND COLOR 24:21

3M ago24:21

24:21

Join the conversation with son Gary Isreal, President of the Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation, and daughter Dorien Gillespie Bietz, children of Dorothy Gillespie, as they reflect on the many gifts their mother had in a groundbreaking documentary Courage, Independence and Color. Artemis Journal was borne out of writing workshops for abused women. Ms.…

1
An Economic Planner's Advice to Museums, with James Stevens 49:00

4M ago49:00

49:00

Why is economic planning so vital to any new museum project? What happens if you don’t do it? What is “dark tourism”? Why do economists think about audiences? Can a museum have “ROI”? Which is more important, a profitable museum event, or one that advances a museum’s mission? What can economics teach us about how to make our projects better? James …

1
Emma Rosenblum (Chief Content Officer, Bustle) 37:28

3M ago37:28

37:28

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN — Emma Rosenblum is a best selling author and is about to release a new novel. But that’s not why she’s here. As the chief content officer at Bustle Digital Group, overseeing content and strategy for titles like Bustle, Elite Daily, and Nylon, she has witnessed some if not all of the massive shifts and changes in the med…

1
A Guitar That Teaches Civil Rights, with Michele Y. Smith 44:04

4M ago44:04

44:04

What is the “humanities gap” — and why is it a huge opportunity for museums? Why can’t everybody be a philanthropist for the day? What does “cultural literacy” mean, and how can it unlock new approaches to the collections we put on display? Why could a shortfall in humanities funding suggest new ways for museums to be relevant? Why shouldn’t a muse…

1
Scott Dadich (Designer & Editor: Wired, Texas Monthly, more) 1:16:23

4M ago1:16:23

1:16:23

DESIGN, BUILD, AND MODIFY — In his mid-20s, Scott Dadich told his editor at Texas Monthly, Evan Smith, that he wanted his job. A move like that is a combination of arrogance, youth, and frankly, balls. But you should also know that Dadich is an engineer. And what do engineers do? Well, according to one definition in Merriam-Webster, they “skillfull…

1
Jim Minick, Poet 34:25

4M ago34:25

34:25

Jim Minick is the author or editor of eight books, including Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas (nonfiction), Fire Is Your Water (novel), and The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Oxford American, Artemis Journal, Orion, Shenandoah, App…

1
The Questions You Have to Ask Before the Project, with Carolynne Harris (Remastered April 2024) 34:54

4M ago34:54

34:54

We might think a design concept is the first step — but it’s not. What do you need to ask yourself, before you even start? What does your community want from your new museum, and how can you find out? What happens when you have funding for 10 staff, but you design a museum that will take 25 staff to operate? What’s more important, the cost of creat…

1
Kirsten Algera & Ernst van der Hoeven (Cofounders, MacGuffin) 30:04

4M ago30:04

30:04

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF THINGS — The Bed. The Window. The Rope. The Sink. The Cabinet. The Ball. The Trousers. The Desk. The Rug. The Bottle. The Chain. The Log. The Letter. These aren’t random words thrown together, nor am I reading a list of things I need to buy—though stop for a moment and admire the poetry and cadence of the list. No, those w…

1
Rethinking Climate Control in Museums, with Roger Chang 50:09

4M ago50:09

50:09

Why is “70/50” the gold standard? Should it be? Who decided? Does every gallery really need to be 70 degrees, plus/minus two? Does every storage space really need to be 50% humidity, plus/minus five? Is that a reasonable goal for most museums? At what cost? What’s the difference between “AA” climate control, and just “A”? How much energy could we a…

1
Linda Wells (Editor: Allure, Air Mail Look, Revlon, more) 59:23

4M ago59:23

59:23

No ‘Visions of Loveliness’ — Picture it: It’s 1991. You’re sitting at your desk at The New York Times, when you get a call from the office of Condé Nast’s Alexander Liberman. Alex wants to meet you for lunch at La Grenouille to discuss an opportunity: Si Newhouse has decided to launch the first-ever beauty magazine, and he thinks you’re just the wo…

1
Embracing Chaos, with Jon Maass 59:26

4M ago59:26

59:26

What if chaos in cultural projects is something to embrace, not fear? Can chaos theory give us new insights about how to manage complex work? Are we advocates for the owner of a project, or for the project itself? What are the three things upon which the success or failure of a project depends? Sometimes, is it better to let a few things change, ra…

1
Caitlin Thompson (Cofounder & Editor, Racquet) 45:16

5M ago45:16

45:16

STRING THEORY — Media, and most every brand in general, talks a lot about building and nurturing a community. Tribes, even. Finding one, inserting yourself into it, and then making your message an integral part of it. And what activity creates a more loyal community, than sports? If there is the ultimate niche audience, sports is it. It goes withou…

1
Sarah EK Muse, Award-winning Artist, Jewelry Designer, & Goldsmith 38:49

4M ago38:49

38:49

Sarah EK Muse, a native Virginian, is an award-winning artist, jewelry designer, and goldsmith known for her exquisite bespoke jewels that celebrate personal narratives and strengthen connections to the past, present, and future. Serving as the backdrop for her inspirations, her private atelier, Studio 12, formerly a two-stall stable, is nestled in…

1
The New Louis Armstrong Center, with Regina Bain and Sara Caples 46:21

4M ago46:21

46:21

What’s the secret to success, when a project lasts years longer than planned? What keeps us going when our work takes more time? How does the subject matter of a project relate to the form of a project? Why should we be thinking equally about the budget for what happens after a project opens? What is the “architecture of delight”? Why do “reverbera…

1
Edel Rodriguez (Illustrator: Time, Mother Jones, Der Spiegel, more) 50:09

5M ago50:09

50:09

WHAT'S RED AND YELLOW AND ORANGE ALL OVER? — The images are iconic. And you know who they depict. They may be the most unforgettable magazine covers to emerge from the chaos of the late 2010s. Why are they so effective? Because of the implicit understanding of what’s being said between artist and audience—without a word being spoken. Using just thr…

1
Kat Craddock (CEO & Editor-in-Chief: Saveur) 21:26

5M ago21:26

21:26

Saveur was always a little different from the other food magazines. It was not exactly highbrow, but it did expand the definition of what a food magazine could be. If anything, it was a magazine about culture—centered on food, sure—but also about places, and things, and people. It was a magazine for foodies before the word “foodie” was invented—and…

1
John Huey (Editor: Time Inc., Fortune, more) 1:00:48

5M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

THE LAST EMPEROR — It might be difficult to remember, at least for our younger listeners, how vast the Time-Life empire was. At its height, during the John Huey dynasty of the late 1990s/early 2000s, the company published over 100 magazines. Quite a rise from its humble beginning in 1922, when Henry Luce launched Time as the country’s first newswee…

1
Jeremy Leslie (Founder: magCulture) 37:12

6M ago37:12

37:12

Jeremy Leslie is a magazine person. A lifer. He has had his hands in a diverse group of publications and media, including Time Out, The Guardian, Blitz, and many others. Since 2006, he has led magCulture, which started out as a research project, became a well respected blog, but now includes a retail outlet in London, a consultancy, events and conf…

1
John Korpics (Designer: Esquire, ESPN, Entertainment Weekly, more) 1:04:10

6M ago1:04:10

1:04:10

MY EFFING CAREER — When you’re born in a town called Media, your career path is pretty much preordained. It has to be, right? And when you end up leading the design teams at blue-chip magazine brands at Condé Nast, Hearst, and Time Inc., the prophecy is then fully realized. (Yes, I just watched Dune). But the journey in between is not as cushy as y…

1
Michele Evans, Poet and Teacher 22:02

6M ago22:02

22:02

Michele Evans, a fifth-generation Washingtonian (D.C.), is a poet, writer, high school English teacher, and adviser for her school's literary magazine, Unbound. Before becoming an educator, Michele Evans studied at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts; King’s College in London, England; and the Graduate School at the University of Maryland i…

1
Flourishing in Museums (New Book), with Dr. Kiersten F. Latham and Professor Brenda Cowan 55:26

6M ago55:26

55:26

What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry? What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? How do exhibition teams get through projects with tough subject matter? Why should we always “put our own oxygen mask on first”? What’s the opposite of love (hint: not hate)…

1
Radhika Jones (Editor: Vanity Fair) 24:33

6M ago24:33

24:33

Introducing our new podcast all about the future of magazines — and the magazines of the future. Check out episode 1, our interview with Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones. — Radhika Jones was named editor in chief of Vanity Fair in November 2017, the fifth editor in the magazine’s storied history. Her hiring was met with some surprise, and …

1
The Real Bilbao Effect, with Andy Klemmer 58:41

6M ago58:41

58:41

Can an eye-catching museum revitalize a city? The answer might surprise you. Getting the right designer is vital. If you don’t like a painting you can put it away, but if you don’t like a building, you can’t take it down. Why is it important to have the goals of a complex museum project fit in a mantra of a few words? What comes first in museum arc…

1
Rochelle Udell (Designer & Editor: Self, Vogue, Epicurious, more) 48:13

6M ago48:13

48:13

THE ULTIMATE HYPHENATE — Rochelle Udell is many things. She is all of these things: teacher, ad woman, vice president, founder, wife, creative director, mentor, chair woman, student, marketer, graduate, design director, editor-in-chief, mother, chief talent officer, executive vice president, collector, president, meditator, internet strategist, par…

1
Adapting The Beatles, with music producer Giles Martin 55:34

6M ago55:34

55:34

Often, creativity comes in the form of adaptation. Reinterpreting a classic can re-frame stories and songs in creative ways for a whole new audience. Meet award-winning music producer and Beatles audio expert Giles Martin – son of legendary music producer George Martin. Giles talks about working closely with his father to adapt the revered Beatles …

1
Raising the Voices of People of Color in Museums and Exhibitions, with Sierra Van Ryck deGroot and Jinelle Thompson 1:08:31

7M ago1:08:31

1:08:31

How can we raise the voices of people of color in museums and exhibitions — and what stands in the way? What is Museum Hue? What constitutes a sustainable museum job, a sustainable career? What percentage of staff at museums are folks of color, and what roles do they have? What do we see happening in the exhibitions that museums create? Many cultur…

1
Mark Seliger (Photographer: Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, GQ, more) 57:09

7M ago57:09

57:09

THE NEW YORK OBSERVER — “I finally went up to Graydon and I said, ‘Hey, you know, I know you like me. I know you wanted me to be here, but I can also do covers.’” • • • That’s today’s guest, Mark Seliger. He’s the same Mark Seliger who, at the moment of this exchange with Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, had already shot over 180 covers for Rolli…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Roger Michell Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide